Wedding Bells & Secret Kisses
by SatineGrey
Summary: Two people who are about to get married but not to each other. A nightly rendezvous to escape their real world. What chances do these lovers have to redeem their true happiness? Who will end up with whom?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 & its characters. I just wish I do.

Wedding Bells & Secret Kisses

"We're not supposed to see each other, not anymore..."

"I know, and you keep on telling me that ever since." The young man looked at her then smirked.

"It's different this time, you know what I mean." she whispered, now evading his gaze.

He stared at her, suddenly feeling a lump on his throat. He doesn't know how to respond to her, how to comfort her and how to assure her of their status. He can thread on a thousand dreams of her by his side, but all the same, waking up in the morning will always show him an empty space beside him on his bed. He knew she can never be with him.

Slowly, he brought up his palm to touch her soft cheek, just to reassure himself that she's still there at this very minute. In return, she shyly looked up to him, with glazed eyes, and hugged him. In the silence of the night, they stayed like that, in each other's arms, without a care to everything around them. Up there in the main building of Furinkan High, for a few moons now, they have shared the warmth of each other. For just an hour or so before the dawn comes, they would create memories that only served as dreams, which no one can ever peeked at.

"Will I see you again tomorrow?"

"You mean after my wedding tomorrow...It would be difficult to sneak out, I guess I'll have to start digging a tunnel under my bedroom to do that." She chuckled.

"Haha, yeah! Well... if only I was born with a silver spoon on my mouth... I would have sold that and give to you the money to pay your family's debts! He grinned and kissed her hair.

She was silent for a while, then again in a hush tone she said, "Yeah, but that will not be enough. All these years, what do we know then? We already had our time, but that was in the past"

He suddenly looked at her and said, "I will be there in your wedding. I won't ask you to smile, if you don't want to, of course I know you won't! Just, be how you'd want to be..." He can't say anything more. He was trying to hold back his tears. Yes, there was a time when both of them could have actually been together, they were just very foolish then.

She grabbed his hand and looked at their interlacing fingers then said, "You're such a masochist. But of course, you're also getting married this year. You'll have your chance to walk on the isle." She joked, but he didn't miss the shiny twin tears that sparkled on her cheeks before she looked down. She has always been a strong girl and that was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her. At times like this, she still tried to muster a calm facade.

"I also never wanted that. If only I had a say on what I want in my life. I could have done so much to save you."

"But I also have to save my family." She weakly added.

He felt her sadness and their hopeless struggle to stay true with what they feel for each other. He slowly put his arms around her waist and whispered ever so softly to her ear, "I'll find a way for us to be with each other again. I love you so much...I won't give up on us."

He caressed her cheeks and wiped her tears. Then slowly, he kissed her. If in so doing that, he hoped he could lessen the pain that she feels. Their kisses became very intense as the time passed. They drowned their sorrows into oblivion until they succumbed to their physical need of reaching heavenly bliss in their borrowed moment.

That moment ended with a different resolution for each of them. He parted with her saying "I won't let you go." while she just nodded after giving him a chaste kiss, she thought, _"I'll never see you again."_

"You're very beautiful!" her father lovingly told her that morning. He smiled at her, but she knew that pain was etched all over him.

"Thank you Dad." then she looked at herself in the mirror. Like any other brides, she too was wearing a long, satin, immaculate white gown. Her make-up has successfully hid the dark eye bugs she got from sneaking out in the night until the wee hours of morning almost everyday. Maybe her family knew already, they were just kind enough in giving her time to enjoy her remaining days as a free woman.

"I'm very sorry honey, I shouldn't have dragged you in this mess. I should have thought about the consequences of my debts. I didn't think they will take you as my repayment." her father bitterly said.

She just hugged her father and said, "It's better me than for them to kill you instead."

"But I know you don't love him, you'll never learn to." He earnestly told her. "Though I'm sure he can give you all luxuries... that you may not want. Thank you for doing this sacrifice. What did I ever do to deserve such a daughter?" He closed his eyes and let tears fall freely from them. After a few minutes, he straightened up and weakly said. "I think it's time. I'll see you outside." and so her father walked out the room.

"Am I really doing this?" she whispered to herself.

Suddenly there was a noise behind her and, "Nooo! You can't be serious in marrying that bastard, I won't allow that!" Said the man who jumped in from her windows.

"Ryoga! W-what are you doing here? How did y-you get in?" she asked, a little shocked by the sudden intrusion in her room.

"There's no way I will let you marry that idiot!" Ryoga answered and grabbed her arm. "For several days I kept on following you whenever you go out at night, and from there I learned the best route on how to get in. So today, you have to come with me now. I will take you away from this madness." He professed, like a knight in shining armour, rescuing his princess.

She removed her arm from his grasp, touched his cheek, and said, "Thank you, that was very brave of you, but I can't leave this place. Not when my family is at stake here."

"Oh don't worry about that! I've got that covered. Just come with me now and I'll explain to you later." Ryoga then tried to grab her arm again.

"I'd like to believe you but what if..."

"Don't you trust me?"

Author's Note:

Was that Ryoga and...? I'll reveal everything on the next chapter. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then I thought I should hear what you think about this story first. So there you go, please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, I'm such a hopeless romantic and I can't just leave this story as a oneshot when I know I haven't tied up all the loop holes. So, thank you so much if you liked the first chapter as it is...By the way, Sephirotho I'll take your 10 bucks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2 & its characters, I can only wish for that.

**Chapter 2**

I'd like to believe you but what if..."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do Ryoga however..."

They were interrupted when the door opened and behind it someone asked...

"Are you ready? The wedding march is about to start... Oh Ryoga-kun, it's been a long while! Are you here to attend the wedding?

"K-Kasumi-san! N-no, I can't just watch Akane-san's wedding!" Ryoga blurted out while scratching his head. "This is a mistake! I am here to take her away. She doesn''t deserve to be married off to someone who doesn't deserve her love. Like that Kuno guy!"

"Oh my! You're here to save Akane, that's so courageous of you! Kasumi smiled at him then frowned, "I have to say though that there are almost hundred armed men around. Tatewaki-kun thought that someone will surely steal his bride. Oh do make sure to take care of my sister!" She looked at Akane and continued, "I know she deserves to be with someone that she really loves! Oh hurry! I can guide you down at the hallway, and then maybe you can jump down from my room's window out to our rear garden.

Ryoga held Akane safely in his arms as he evaded and fought Kuno's men. His "Breaking Point" technique had been very useful as he was able to create a path for their escape. His final blow to his opponents came from his "Shishi Hokudan," a technique he successfully mastered from harnessing his sadness, frustrations, and heartbreaks. Yes, always mostly because of heartbreak. For in the end, he knew that whatever sacrifices he makes, she will never give her heart to him.

They hopped from one roof to another until finally, Ryoga carefully set down Akane at the top of one of the dilapidated buildings in the city. Before releasing her from his hold, he whispered, "There, you're safe now. I wish you all happiness." For a second, Akane just looked up at him and felt a kind of strange emotion from him that she long ago had just considered as a brotherly caring. Now, she knew it was something deeper than that, and she somehow understood it. For that she gently kissed Ryoga on his forehead while saying, "Thank you, I appreciate everything you have done to me and I'll never forget that."

Suddenly, a shadow moved from one corner and said,

"You're here. Thank you buddy for saving Akane!"

The said girl gasp and walked to the owner of the voice in the shaded part of the roof deck.

"Ranma, you jerk! You sent Ryoga alone to fight all of Kuno's men!"

"That's okay Akane-san! I knew that it will be more dangerous to send Ranma there knowing that Kuno is already hunting him. Besides, I volunteered to do that." Ryoga shyly explained to her.

"Oh Ryoga, I can't thank you enough! You're such a kind friend." Akane said to him, not noticing the slight changed in the bandana-clad boy's smile. He just smiled to her thinking, "_I told you, she only thinks of you as a friend..._"

"I guess we're quits now pig-boy!"

Ryoga just looked at Ranma with a furrowed brow and sweaty fists. He was trying very hard not to punch the arrogant pigtailed-boy. "_Oh why did Akane fell inlove with him!"_ He thought. Maybe if he came earlier & had not accidentally cut her hair...maybe...he had a chance. He was so engrossed in his musing that he didn't notice that the said couple is already in their own world kissing passionately. Well, he did everything he can...all for the sake of their friendship.

He remembered the first time he caught the two on the top of their school building...

As always he got lost again on that night. Everything was dark and seemed unfamiliar. Then, he heard voices he thought were just around him though he can't see a thing. Suddenly, he saw shadows jumped from the rooftop of the building before him, down to the bushes nearby. He crouched down for him not to be seen. He realized that the voices coming from these figures were somehow familiar though he couldn't really hear what they were saying. As he got used to the dark, the outline of the two shadows became recognizable. He was quick enough to cover his mouth to suppress his gasp upon realizing who these people were. From then on, he decided to investigate. On the second night, he followed the girl down to their dojo and started camping around that area to wait every night on her nightly rendezvous. Of course jealousy was seeping thru him on the first few weeks of nosing around. Thereafter, he thought, that love is really something that he wouldn't understand. He thought "_What did Akane see in Ranma that I don't have?_" Well, he hated it, but for all the times that he followed the two, he saw a different Ranma. He seemed more caring, not arrogant and proud.

He remembered the phrase, 'You don't know what you got until you lose it.' "Yup, Ranma finally realized that he loves Akane when she's no longer betrothed to him. But I thought that bastard is with Ukyo-san now?" He was musing about this one night when someone tapped his shoulder.

"I knew it, you were peeking at us!"

"R-Ranma! Well hehe, I didn't mean to. I guess I was just curious. Why the hell were you sneaking out every night anyways?"

"Why do you care? It's not your business!"

"Of course I care about Akane! Besides, you're now with Ukyo!"

"I didn't want that yah know! I just...caught into this mess that my father got into. We just don't have a place to go after Mr. Tendo accepted that bastard Kuno's resolution to pay-up all his debts from this yakuza guy who treatened to kill him. Then there was Ukyo who offered us her place in exchange to working at her restaurant and as payment for her father's food cart that my dad stole."

"Well why didn't you just kill that yakuza guy if he was threatening Akane's family?"

"Ryoga, are you crazy? You can't just mess around with these guys! They have huge connections all around!" Ranma snapped.

"Um, ok you're probably right...So what's your plan now? You can't just sneak-out every night. You're bound to be caught somehow, possibly..."

"Unless you shut your mouth or I will do something about that huh!"

"Hey that's not what I meant alright! I won't tell this to anyone I swear. But, she's getting married you know, and I heard you too as well?" Ryoga asked.

Ranma just sighed and got speechless for a while.

"I... don't actually know." He muttered finally. "I thought about eloping, taking her away from all these chaos. But, I know that Akane will not agree to that idea of leaving everything and everyone behind for the sake of love. She's just too responsible for that, sometimes... I hate her for that! Nah, of course not, I really admire her really. Aaaah! I don't know man!

Ranma's blubbering somehow got Ryoga thinking that he has to do something. "_Seriously should I help those two? It's... ofcourse for Akane's happiness_!" With that in mind, Ryoga suggested that he would make a plan to snatch Akane on her wedding day.

"...and if say after two hours, you were still not here, I'm definitely gonna follow you in the tendo compund!" Ranma assured Ryoga before they parted the night before the wedding, after his rendezvous with the bride.

So here they are, all lovey-dovey in front of the heart broken boy. Akane sensing him suddenly asked, "So what does gonna happen now? I can't just ditch my wedding like that, Kuno would have known by now?"

Well your erstwhile sister, Nabiki-san, I met her a few days ago. I told her your situation. She wasn't surprised at all hahaha! She knew it's gonna happen someday. She said she didn't run away from all of you, her family. She just had to find a way to build her connections to help you. And now she said she has enough money to pay your debts and is on her way to Kuno. There's really no need for me to get you, but I just have to be sure if Nabiki-san won't make it on time." Ryoga told them. "Oh, by the way Ranma, Nabiki said you owe her a lot. If not for all the damages you have done to the dojo, all the repairs and being freeloader to them, their father wouldn't resort to borrowing money from these loan shark-yakuza guys!"

"Hehe, I of course haven't forgotten that. And who are you to talk? You're also one of those who brought damages to their dojo, why are you all just blaming me!" Ranma revolted.

"Well if you just settled all your fiancée problems earlier, no one will bother to attack you, Shampoo wouldn't bother to visit you by breaking their walls, that crazy sister of Kuno wouldn't attack Akane-san and...!

"You also attacked me!"

"Enough of this you two! It's all in the past. So Ryoga are you saying that my family is safe now?"Akane interrupted.

"Yes yes Akane-san! But it's best that you wait for her to visit you. She gave me an address where you can stay for a while to wait for her."

"Oh I just love Nabiki! Wait a minute, how about your wedding Ranma? How will you tell this to Ukyo?"

"I thought I'll just leave pops there to work his ass off until he gets to pay fully what we owe her! While I gonna run off with you!" Ranma smiked.

"Oh that's low Ranma! Don't do that to her, talk to her!"

"Ok, ok! Of course I won't do that to her. I'll talk to her...after we get married! You never know what she'll do to yah or whoever. That's why, I brought this with me, our wedding registry form. Signed it now then we'll head off to where we're supposed to submit it."

"Ranma, really?" Akane can't help but to give a radiant, knee-weakening smile at her husband-to-be.

The pigtailed-boy got hypnoticed for a few seconds, then answered, "Yep! So will you, ah gonna marry me?" Ranma asked while kneeling as he presented to her a ring which he later explained as his mom's own engagement ring. As to how his father got it for her, he didn't care to ask.

"Of course dummy I'll marry you!" Akane happily answered then whispered, "I don't want to wait until the bump in my tummy becomes visible!"

"Huh?...Oh, oh! You mean?" Ranma hesitantly asked.

Akane just nodded her head while giving him a beaming smile. Ranma was speechless for a while. Everything just turned great all of a sudden, when last night he thought his only life, the one he secretly wish to have from the first day he came to Nerima, will be lost from him forever.

As she hug him and gave him a searing kiss, Ranma can't help but slip a tear. He looked at her and said, "We'll never be apart again, I promise!"

Meanwhile...

"All is well now. So..."

"Ryoga, give my regards to Akari! Congratulations on your engagement to her!" Akane told him, when she remembered that they're still not so alone eventually.

"Ah yeah, thank you Akane-san! I'm gonna head back to their farm now. All the best for the two of you. Ranma, take good care of Akane-san or I'll hunt you to death!"

"As always Ryoga! I won't let her get out of my sight...and arms now! Thank you so much buddy!"

"You're such a lucky man Ranma! So, yeah I should find my way home to someone who loves me back..."

Author's Note:

There you go, I've done the second and last part of this story, just to give explanations on how things started and end. I hope you like it still. I was thinking of doing a one shot on how the main couple started to hook up together. Please review.


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